The Drop: Week of April 9th 2012 New Releases

Leave your quarters at home or take them on the go when playing your favorite pinball machine for the zillionth time, or discover an acclaimed pinball classic for the first time, with The Pinball Arcade. Its also equipped with the added bonus of “Cross Purchase,” you can buy the PS Vita version and get the PS3 version for free, and vice versa.

The cast of long-awaited 2D fighter Skullgirls prepare to pummel PSN players, the Sour Patch Kids make their platformer debut in World Gone Sour, and match-3 goes free-to-play with Treasures of Montezuma Blitz for PS Vita.

PlayStation Network

Skullgirls — Set in the Canopy Kingdom, Skullgirls tells the tale of eight female warriors as they fight to reclaim a wish-granting artifact known as the “Skull Heart” from the monstrous Skullgirl. As legend has it, every seven years this enigmatic Skull Heart grants a wish to a young woman… but this power can come at a terrible price. If her heart is impure, her wish will be twisted and she herself will be transformed into a Skullgirl.

Developed by newcomer Reverge Labs, Skullgirls is a fast-paced 2D fighting game. Starring a cast of feisty female warriors, Skullgirls is a multi-layered fighter featuring all-new game systems for veteran fighting game fans while also making the intimidating genre enjoyable and accessible to the casual gamer.

Sour Patch Kids: World Gone Sour — In Sour Patch Kids: World Gone Sour, gamers will take on the miniature role of a lost Sour Patch Kid, guiding the hero through the sticky floors of a movie theater, across the counter of a concession stand, and other unique and oversized environments.

Joining forces with fellow lost Sour Patch Kids, players will use a combination of jumps, twists and puzzle-solving to negotiate and overcome larger than life obstacles. Along the way, they will battle unusual candy enemies, escape from deranged humans, and face-off against bizarre creatures including one very angry wad of sticky chewing gum.

The Pinball Arcade (PSVita / PS3 Cross Purchase) — From the makers of Pinball Hall of Fame comes the ultimate pinball machine collection — step into The Pinball Arcade and you’ll have access to many of the all-time greatest tables from Williams, Bally, Stern Pinball, and Gottlieb! Players build their pinball collection by purchasing and downloading the tables they want to play, each powered by a realistic pinball simulation that re-creates pinball gameplay with accuracy and authenticity. Leave your quarters at home and just enjoy playing your favorite pinball machine for the zillionth time or discovering an acclaimed pinball classic for the first time.

Treasures of Montezuma Blitz (PS Vita) — Completely free for life to download and play! Treasures of Montezuma Blitz is a stunning shiny new puzzle game, using the featuring the unique abilities of PlayStation Vita System to deliver to you a fresh experience of the new-age fun! With both Front and Rear Touchscreens at your fingertips, there will be no limits to your speed, and Motion Sensor for gravity adds even more spice to the fast-paced rounds of the game.

PS3 Demos

Sniper Elite v2

PlayStation 2 Classics

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES — Lead a group of high school students with a dangerous extracurricular activity: exploring the mysterious tower Tartarus and fighting the sinister Shadows during the Dark Hour, a frozen span of time imperceptible to all but a select few. However, the end of their quest is no longer the end of the story–witness for the first time the aftermath of the final battle and the students’ struggle to find meaning in their new lives.

A spin-off of the RPG Persona, Fes (or “Festival of Persona 3″) consists of Persona 3’s content along with 30 hours of additional gameplay. The new gameplay comes primarily in the form of the “Gojitsudan,” a story sequence that comes after the original’s ending, with new cinematic sequences in addition to the added gameplay. While the main storyline is the same, it’s been tuned up with new events. Gameplay has been updated as well, with a new “hard” setting (the original had just easy and normal), 23 new Personas, a weapon synthesis system and a system for changing your characters’ clothes.

[Editor’s Note: The following dates are subject to change. Game details are gathered from Press Releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

I haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere. What happened with the Magic DotP 2012 DLC? The only DLC is the last pack released and this gold bundle that only unlocks cards and gives them foil. I’d like to get all the packs but the only option now is to pay $20 for the game and DLC bundle together. Which I’m not going to do.

There hasn’t been a Vita game released in a good 4 weeks straight.
Literally. Not one. Not even any small PSN games.

The PS3 had a worse launch, with basically one good disc game and then Blast Factor on PSN. So there’s still hope.
But right now, I’m surprised there’s not more “TEH VITA IZ DOOMD” articles floating around the internet.
I want a new game…

I also want Lumines, but I’m not spending 40 dollars for a game that that can be played on my cell phone for 99 cents with the no loss of quality.

How come none of the classics being released are part of the defining experience of the PS2?
**Note* * * The above sums up the question in one line. Everything below this line is the same question being extended into a long and pointless rant- I’m aware of it but I loved and still love my Ps2.

Where are the survival horror games that thrived on the Ps2 before this generation ruthlessly murdered the genre and ressurected it’s corpse as an action game puppet?

Why are we seeing “classics” that are still on the shelf?

Where are games like Rule of Rose ,Sky Gunner , Haunting Grounds , Shadow Hearts, Wild Arms , Extermination, Robotic Alchamaic Drive, Valkyire Profile 2, Dark Cloud 1& 2 and so on and so on? The stuff you could only play on the PS2? Like Mad Maestro, Mr. Mosquito, R-Type Final or the one of a kind Graffiti Kingdom and Chulip?
Even better! A re-release of LIFE LINE THAT WORKS WITH MODERN MICROPHONES!

I already have Grand Theft Auto, and Skullgirls sounds intriguing. If there is a demo for that, I will be sure to check it out. The Pinball Arcade is a definite purchase for me as I love the idea of being able to play it on both PS3 and Vita. Also, Treasures of Montezuma for free is totally awesome! I have all three ToM games for PC from Gamehouse, all of which are a lot of fun.

@13 man it doesn’t matter what you do to Lifeline you’re not going to be able to turn it into anything worth $10.

For realz though I would be super stoked if they released the PAL version of Siren 2 on the US PSN. Dropping Siren New Translation down to $20 would be nice too because no one is going to pay $45 for that in 2012.

There was nothing last week, but that happens. Those are Vita games that have come out on PSN, so you’re just making things up to support whatever point you’re trying to make. Two more Vita games are coming this week, so that makes it four out of five weeks with at least one game out on PSN. I’d love to have more, but freaking about some make believe issue isn’t helping you.

pretty sure Skullgirls should have a trial. It’s so nice to finally get that on the store. I don’t have the necesary funds in my PSN wallet at the moment. But I’ll try out the demo to see if I like it. Either way I still love the art style.

More PS2 RPGs please. The EU have the Digital Devil Saga games 1/2; which retail for like $100 each on Amazon. THOSE games we need over here. Along with Shadow Hearts 2 and 3, Wild Arms 3, 4, 5 and FFXII (we won’t get X, as SE is gouging for the ‘HD’ edition). Even FF XI wouldn’t be half bad as XIV is a downright mess.

Xenosaga collection would be ace too. Really Sony have waited too long for this sort of update to their digital catalog, especially seeing as a PS4 is – rumoured – coming next year. Better late than never though, I suppose.

Okay, Skullgirls has been a looker, but P3FES out of nowhere? Awesome! And I was just thinking about its persona datalog thing. Now, if I can just copy over my save file… Do files transfered from memory cards work with PS2 Classics downloads?

And really hoping Persona 4 on the Vita is “everything and more”; then would come th excruciating wait for its PS2C. If I ever finish FES’s modes, then I may pick up P3P…and my digital gender-bending will continue.

I see lots of wanting for PS2 JRPG’s as classics. I would very much like to add a game to the requests… Dragon Quest VIII. It was my favorite PS2 game, and I’ve been really wanting to play it again lately. Sure, I could buy it on Amazon and get a good controller to play it on a PS2 with, but I would like to see it upscaled, rather than running in 480i. It would make an awesome PS2 classic.

@ 12 Grand Theft Auto Vice Ctiy Stories is available to play in the vita, but need to download it from the ps3 :(, first you should download all the psp games into the ps3 and then connect the vita i and check what games available.

Why do you keep putting these boring random ps2 classics on here. Just stop. We want high received titles that are FUN to play. Where are games that we adore? Like GTA SA which was criticality acclaimed instead of this rpg from japan.

I still have Fes on my shelf but absolutely have no problem spending 10 bucks for it on my PS3 – I urge everyone to buy themselves a copy next week. Especially if you haven’t played persona 3 psp, it’s the best version

Heeey… how about releasing some other games besides Persona?
Where is the SMT love? P3P is already on PSN.
Also, Europe is getting both Digital Devil Saga games…
I don’t even mind if you guys pass the Raidou Kuzunoha series, but please get Nocturne. It has Dante!

Wow another dull week. i pray this isnt going to be something normal for the Vita content-wise. Granted next week will be great since that is when Disgaea comes out and i have that pre-order through their websites months ago. So i can see this week and next week to be nothing of my interest. Really sad i just dont see whats so hard with them getting more Vita content. I mean games need to be out, but if thats the case release Psp titles since good games like Crisis Core, and Kingdom Hearts has yet to see the light on PSN. Or if not hurry with the Ps1 capability. Are they even working on it though? i mean i understand they said it would be out soon after the release of the Vita, but i wouldnt consider 2 months after to be “Soon”